princess in the tower
by the yellow canary
Summary: She was born a Malfoy. She died a Gryffindor. But she was still Narcissa's Princess - a freeverse telling the story of Andromeda Narcissa Malfoy from her mother's eyes


princess in the tower

_She was born a Malfoy. She died a Gryffindor. But she was still Narcissa's Princess - a freeverse telling the rather tragic story of Andromeda Narcissa Malfoy from her mother's eyes_

Prompts used: Princess, cherish, gone too soon

She was born exactly **seven **minutes after her brother.

and as much as she hated to admit it,

_she _was the one she was most **excited**for.

Lucius would m-o-l-d young Draco into his heir

and his daughter would be left to Narcissa to deal with.

Because girls _didn't belong _in Pureblood society.

They were nothing but *pretty* little decorations,

empty and hollowed out so they could be what their Pureblood husband wanted.

Narcissa didn't **want **that for her daughter.

_Her Princess_.

So she named her / _Andromeda_ / in hope that she would follow her Aunt's footsteps

Even if that meant marrying a _**mudblood**_.

Andromeda g-r-o-w-s.

Draco g-r-o-w-s.

And it's clear that, whilst twins, they looked **nothing **like each other.

Draco was like his father.

A _Malfoy _through and through.

/Silver hair and silver eyes and a pale face with pointed features/

Andromeda was like her _mother_.

A **Black **through and through.

/Golden hair and grey eyes and a pretty porcelain face with soft features/

Narcissa loved them both.

When Andromeda is **seven**, she asks an important (?) question (?)

_"Mother, why do you and father not love each other?"_

Narcissa is _silently _impressed with her little Princess.

Not many people would look past the facade of **Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy**, loving husband and wife.

Because they _didn't _love each other - they were an :arranged: marriage and **put up** with each other.

_Tolerated _each other.

Hated each other.

But she couldn't tell her that.

So she tells her

_"Because Pureblood women are not supposed to love their husbands."_

She hated how Andromeda's little face f - e - l - l in front of her eyes.

She understood.

Four years later, Narcissa sends her children to Hogwarts.

She _doesn't _cry... In front of them.

She saves the tears for when she's behind closed doors and her children are on the train to Hogwarts and her husband is at the Ministry.

She's never felt so **alone**.

Narcissa prides herself on knowing everything about her children.

She _knows _that Draco is afraid of his father.

She _knows _Andromeda hates how the Elves are treated.

She **knows **that Draco loves Chocolate Frogs by hates Licorice Wands.

She **knows **that Andromeda is terrified that she's going to fail Potions.

She knew Draco would be in Slytherin.

She knew Andromeda wouldn't be in Slytherin.

But she didn't _expect _Gryffindor.

(Anything but Gryffindor, Princess, your father isn't going to like that!)

But Narcissa thought before she acted and she realised that this was a _good _thing

Because her daughter will be **brave **enough to do what Narcissa could never do.

There's stories that the Dark Lord was at Hogwarts and Harry Potter defeated him once more.

To be honest, Narcissa couldn't care one knut about the orphaned Boy Who Lived.

She wanted to check her twins

(Her golden haired girl and her silver haired son.)

She never expected Andromeda to step off the train with the previously mentioned orphaned Boy Who Lived

She sees Draco **glaring **at them as they hug and Narcissa is reminded of another Potter and should-be-Slytherin hugging like that

And Narcissa's heart breaks

Because look how James and Sirius turned out

/_I hope you know what you are getting into, my Princess_/

Over the Summer her Dragon does nothing but practice Quidditch and her Princess does nothing but read in her room.

Lucius is _not happy_ with Andromeda but Narcissa knew he wouldn't be

But she won't be **disowned **because family means something to Malfoys.

Narcissa tries to talk to her but she's c/h/a/n/g/e/d -

She doesn't agree with what she was raised to believe and she pretends not to notice when her owl sends a letter to the _Weasley _or _muggleborn_.

Narcissa is losing her daughter.

She gives it a few years before she becomes another **Sirius **and _runs away_.

Her little ones - _although not so little now, Cissy_ - return to Hogwarts.

Lucius tells Andromeda to - _stay away_ - from Potter.

Andromeda rolls her eyes and runs away without saying goodbye when someone shouts _Andy!_

- can you remember when you called your **sister **that? -

Narcissa makes do with/ smothering /Draco but can't let the memory of her Princess **running **away from her without a backwards look leave her mind.

She feels much better when she writes to her the next day to vent about Potter and Weasley's latest adventure.

Narcissa feels like she's getting her daughter **back**.

Narcissa and Andromeda exchange letters all year in a way that a younger Narcissa and the first Andromeda did.

Narcissa had never been happier because she has her daughter _and _her sister back.

When she comes back, she reveals what happened last year

And her father's part in it.

Narcissa says nothing about it to him and she can feel Andromeda's disapproval.

"Who don't you stand up for yourself, mother?"

"Because it is not my place to tell your father what he can and can't do."

"That's not a marriage. That's like a man and his slave."

Oh, my little Princess, have you not _realised _that is basically what **marriage **is for us Pureblood women.

They go back for their Third Year and Narcissa is terrified

Because Sirius **Black **is out there.

He has no reason to come after her or her husband or her children

But Andromeda is close to Harry Potter and Sirius is obviously going after him

Oh, Princess, _stay safe_!

Andromeda lives another year and returns to the Manor for summer.

The Quidditch World Cup takes place and Narcissa and Andromeda are **forbidden **to go by Lucius.

Andromeda is angry 

_Seething_

**Enraged**

She spends most of her time in her room and Narcissa spots her owl -f-l-y-i-n-g- to and from his mistress as he sends letters **back **and_ forth _between her friends and her.

She doesn't talk to Narcissa about it.

Instead they do each other's hair and Narcissa is just _happy _to see her smile, even if she did choose to talk to the **muggleborn **about her problems instead of her.

It's the twins Fourth Year

And a student **dies**

And the _Dark Lord _is back

It's only a matter of time before her daughter leaves

Fifth Year for her children comes and goes and her twins return home.

All four are home and Narcissa knows that this is the _last time _everything will be like this

And Narcissa's no Seer but her prediction comes true

Because the next day the g/r/o/w/i/n/g fight between Lucius and Andromeda **erupts **and Narcissa tearfully watches as she walks out of the door with her bags in hand.

She doesn't look back and she's glad because she wouldn't be able to cope if her _grey _eyes met hers

It would've been like watching her sister leave all over again

Narcissa wanted to cry because she had lost **another **Andromeda

And this hurt so much more

Because Narcissa couldn't find it in her to call her back and convict her to a life like her own.

She tells Lucius it's for the best that she's gone

_/And meant every word/_

She's heard that Andromeda is at the Weasley home

- maybe they can give her the family she deserves -

And Narcissa has to **stop **Lucius from going and dragging her back from that hovel.

But she doesn't stop him from _disowning _her Princess.

Because Andromeda is smart and Narcissa is too and she would be able to look after her without Lucius finding out like she did for Sirius

- no one knows about that and _no one_ ever would because Sirius is dead and her lips are sealed -

Lucius and Narcissa take Draco to the Platform and she finds it heartbreaking when she spots Andromeda's beautiful golden hair - so much like her own - amongst the sea of red

Lucius says nothing

Draco glares

Narcissa blinks

"It's done."

Severus looks close to breaking point and Draco looks no better

But at least he is not a **murderer**

"Thank you."

She tells him when Draco has left the room, pale and shaking. She went to f-o-l-l-o-w before she halted but didn't turn around to face him.

"Andromeda?"

"Fighting with the Order."

Narcissa nods because she expected _no less _of her Princess.

It's a full out war now and Narcissa **fears **for her family.

Bellatrix and Lucius are the most infamous Death Eaters and they _should _be safe

But Lucius is not exactly the Dark Lord's _favourite _anymore

And Bellatrix would gladly kill her sister and her family if it pleaded her Lord.

Narcissa is not religious but she prays.

She **prays **for her husband.

She _prays _for her son.

She prays for herself.

And she prays for her daughter who failed to turn up for her last year at Hogwarts.

_Stay safe_, Princess. Please, **stay alive**.

"Are you proud, Narcissa?"

Primrose Parkinson /_sneers/ _the question and she elegantly raises an eyebrow.

"About what?"

"Your daughter's marriage to the **Weasley**, of course!"

Her giggle is fake and Narcissa wants nothing more than to glare at the woman.

She's not happy but yes, she is **proud**.

"And what of your daughter, Primrose?"

Primrose shuts up because Narcissa could tell many stories of what Pansy Parkinson has done.

A mudblood.

A blood traitor.

Someone who may be Harry Potter.

Her _daughter_.

Narcissa ignores the others and saves her daughter.

She digs her nails into Andromeda's soft skin when she starts to protest and drags her to her room which had not been touched since she left.

She slaps her.

She **hugs **her.

And then she _walks _away.

Lucius sends her to Hogwarts a week later.

This is it.

This is it.

This is it.

The Dark Lord is **seething **and she hopes that the next person to cross his path is Harry Potter so, in one way or another, this _ends_.

The death.

The torture.

The uncertainty.

Narcissa waits with the Dark Lord in the forest with Lucius by her side. He's _shaking _and she's sure she is too but she remains s-i-l-e-n-t and so does he.

They breathe a sigh of relief as he - Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, _**Andromeda's Friend!**_ - walks towards the Dark Lord.

He's not afraid.

But Narcissa is.

The fear doesn't leave her even when Lucius grabs her hand.

Narcissa walks forward at the Dark Lord's order and checks the boy's pulse.

Beat.

_Beat_.

Beat.

**Beat**.

Alive.

_Alive_.

Alive.

**Alive**.

(This wonderful, miraculous boy!)

"Are they safe? _Draco_? _Andromeda_? Are they **safe**?"

He nods slightly and she closed her eyes.

Her Dragon.

Her Princess.

Safe.

Alive.

When Narcissa was young, she wanted nothing more than to be a _perfect Pureblood woman._

She wanted to be the perfect wife.

She wanted to be the perfect mother.

She wanted to be the perfect socialite.

"Was _everything _worth this, Cissy?"

The voice sounds like the taunting voice of **Bellatrix**.

A worthless husband.

A pampered son.

A daughter who's...

She can't even _think _the word.

What would've happened if she had run away with Andromeda all those years ago?

"Come with me, Cissy!"

"You're going to die, Cissy!"

"Cissy, listen to me!"

She **should've **gone.

She _should've _run away.

She should've lived like a muggle and married for love and gotten disowned

Maybe then, she wouldn't have been staring into the lifeless eyes of her Princess.

She stands at her daughter's **funeral **with her son and husband on either side and her daughter's wedding photo clutched to her chest.

(So beautiful and happy and smiling and he looks at her with so much love. She couldn't have wished for a better son-in-law)

Harry Potter is speaking.

Hermione Granger is _sobbing_.

Ronald Weasley is **somber**.

The Quartet has b - r - o - k - e - n and Narcissa wants to cry.

These three _brilliant _and **brave **kids helped her daughter escape a life she would've hated.

And it led to her death.

_Andromeda Narcissa Malfoy-Weasley_

_Born June 1980_

_Died May 1998_

_Daughter_

_Sister_

_Friend_

_Wife_

_Gryffindor_

_Hero_

Narcissa didn't want Andromeda to have the life she was **forced **into

Her Princess _deserved _more than an unloving husband and an unfulfilled life

So Narcissa let her daughter g - o

Because her Princess didn't deserve to be locked up in a tower.

And Andromeda didn't deserve to repeat her mother's past mistakes.

_Andromeda didn't deserve the life she was given. _

She was gone too soon.

Princess, I hope you were happy.

_Princess_, I'm sorry I never did the right thing by you.

**Princess**, I love you.


End file.
